Perry Farrell Apologises to Jane's Addiction After On-Stage Brawl

Jeans Addiction singer Perry Farrell has apologized to his bandmates for the ugly scene that occurred Friday in Boston when the singer attacked guitarist Dave Navarro during a show.

“This weekend has been incredibly difficult and after having had the time and space to reflect, it is only right that I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarro, fans, family and friends for my actions during Friday’s show,” Pharrell said in a statement first shared with The Daily Beast. Billboard.

“Unfortunately, my breaking point led to inexcusable behavior, and I take full responsibility for how I handled the situation,” Farrell, 65, said in his admission of wrongdoing, which came just days after the horrific scene at Boston's Leader Bank Pavilion when the singer attacked Navarro during a performance of “Ocean Size.”

In videos captured by fans at the moment, a distraught Pharrell pounced on Navarro and shoulder-bumped his bandmate before punching the shocked guitarist as the two men separated and Pharrell was dragged backstage.

Navarro, Stephen Perkins and Eric Avery released a joint statement on Instagram Monday morning apologizing to fans for the disturbing scene and canceling the rest of the band's U.S. tour. “Due to the ongoing pattern of behavior and mental health struggles of our vocalist Perry Farrell, we have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to cancel the current U.S. tour,” the three wrote.

“Our concern for his personal health and safety, as well as our own, has left us with no alternative. We hope he finds the help he needs,” they continued. “We deeply regret that we were unable to accommodate the needs of all of our fans who have already purchased tickets. We see no solution that will ensure a safe environment on stage or allow us to reliably deliver a great performance every night.” The note was signed “Our hearts are broken.”

In addition, the source says, Billboard “Pharrell himself was deeply saddened by his actions. He realized that he waited too long to prioritize his well-being. His exhaustion and the toll he paid on his physical and mental health were beyond measure. He had the best intentions in touring with the band and feels like he let his fans and family down.”

The band released a statement on Saturday in an Instagram story announcing the cancellation of a planned show Sunday night in Bridgeport at the Hartford Healthcare Theater before announcing the cancellation of the entire tour.

Shortly after the onstage explosion, Pharrell's wife, Ettie Lau Pharrell, released a statement about the incident that included some background on what she said contributed to the breakdown. “There was obviously a lot of tension and animosity between members,” she wrote on Twitter. “The magic that made the band so dynamic. Well, the dynamite was lit.” Instagram Along with a video of the onstage brawl. “Perry's frustration was growing, night after night, he felt the stage was too loud and the band was drowning out the sound. Perry was suffering from tinnitus and a sore throat every night. But when the front row audience started complaining to Perry and swearing that the band was planning too loud and they couldn't hear him, Perry lost his temper.”

She also noted that on stage, “bass guitarist Gene Avery put Perry in a headlock and punched him in the stomach three times… Perry was a crazy beast for the next half hour – he didn't finally calm down, but he just broke down and cried and cried. Well, Eric, well, either he didn't understand what de-escalation meant or he took advantage of the situation and landed a few cheap blows on Perry.”

Founded in 1985 by Pharrell, Navarro, Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins, the beloved Los Angeles alternative rock band released two highly influential studio albums – 1988's Nothing shocking and the nineties of the twentieth century Habit ritual —Before embarking on their farewell tour as part of the first Lollapalooza festival in 1991. Avery was long a reluctant member of subsequent reunions, and was replaced by Red Hot Chili Pepper's Flea for the 1997 tour and then by Martine Lenoble and Chris Chaney for later tours. The original four were given another chance in 2008 for a world tour, though Avery took another sabbatical in 2010 ahead of the release of the band's fourth studio album, The Great Escape Artist.

Avery rejoined the band in 2022, and after Navarro’s two-year absence due to the effects of long Covid, the guitarist returned to the stage this year for a North American tour, the first for all four original members in 14 years. The tour kicked off in early August and was scheduled to run through mid-October. At press time, the band’s future status was unknown.

See Navarro's statement below.